A great article delves into the history of Zaro’s Bakery as well their claim to having invented the delicious and iconic black and white cookies.

Whether or not they were the first, one thing we do know is that they are the best around.

So how do you like to eat your black and whites?

amNY writes:

What makes Zaro’s different?

“Our cookie tends to be a lot more cookie than cake,” Michael Zaro said. “It has a good weight to it.”

There are more than two ways to eat a black and white. Michael Zaro takes one bite right in the middle, then breaks it in half and finishes the chocolate. If he’s still hungry he eats the rest of the vanilla.

But first, they have to be made. Laura Jaramillo and Juneisi Polance are part of the crew that specializes in black and whites at Zaro’s. With a combination of speed and accuracy, they produce mini- and full-sized versions. As cookies go down a conveyor belt, they grab them, spread vanilla icing on exactly half the cookie and place them on a baking sheet.

After the vanilla dries, the women take buckets of chocolate icing and deftly apply the second topping, using a thin-bladed metal spatula with a flourish.

Later in the day, the cookies are shipped to Zaro’s nearly 10 retail outlets to be sold. It’s especially popular among commuters; the busiest store is near Track 34 at Grand Central Terminal, while the two at Penn Station give it a run for its money.